IWC Schaffhausen opens new boutique at Taiku Hui Mall in Shanghai

IWC Schaffhausen has opened its new flagship boutique at HKRI Taikoo Hui mall complex in Shanghai. Taking its successful new retail concept to the next level, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has created a fully immersive environment centring around its most iconic product lines and highlighting key aspects such as the brand’s engineering and materials competence. The new flagship boutique also features the “Big Pilot Bar” with indoor and outdoor seating, converting it into a meeting point for the local community.

IWC’s new flagship boutique is located at the HKRI Taikoo Hui mall, West Nanjing Road, in the West Central Business District in Shanghai. After Zurich and Dubai, Shanghai marks the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer’s third global IWC flagship location. Visitors are greeted by an impressive three-dimensional façade featuring an oversized Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe”. Over more than 300 sq. m., they can immerse themselves into distinctively themed worlds and discover IWC’s iconic Pilot’s Watches, Portugieser and Portofino collections. This makes it the largest IWC boutique in the world in terms of square metres.

Adding a futuristic touch to the boutique is the presence of IWC’s partner Airspeeder, the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars. Visitors can take a seat in the cockpit of a “speeder” racing drone and enjoy a Mixed Reality (MR) flight through landscapes inspired by IWC’s “Colors of TOP GUN” Lake Tahoe, Woodland, Mojave Desert and Ceratanium®.

“Our new flagship boutique blurs the boundaries between a physical store and a digital experience. Merging the best of both worlds, we created a space where visitors can discover our brand and products in an unprecedented new way. Moreover, thanks to the integration of a food and beverage concept, the boutique also turns into a meeting point for people living or working in the Jing’an District”, explains Christoph Grainer-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

MERGING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
IWC’s new retail concept creates intelligent connections between the physical and virtual worlds. For example, an interactive display lets visitors deep-dive into IWC’s engineering heritage. They can learn more about the brand’s unique materials expertise, IWC-manufactured movements and complications. All watch displays in the boutique feature Inspify touchscreen technology, allowing visitors to access a broad range of information about the timepieces on display, including product history, technical specifications, and customisation possibilities. A story portal with live social media feeds or a Portl hologram box adds to the digitally enhanced visitor experience. The box will feature 3D appearances of IWC family members, such as free ski star Eileen Gu, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, or legendary IWC watchmaker and inventor of the perpetual calendar, Kurt Klaus.

In addition, a mini programme on IWC’s WeChat account is dedicated to the new flagship boutique, enabling users to discover the boutique and take full advantage of its services. Visitors can, for example, get an overview of all flagship boutique features and services or take a virtual tour.

AN INTEGRATED FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCEPT
Also, for the first time, IWC has integrated a fully-fledged food and beverage concept into a flagship boutique. At the “Big Pilot Bar,” visitors can enjoy delicious food, freshly brewed coffee or savoury cocktails – inside or on the outside terrace. The bar’s offer can also soon be enjoyed without a visit to the boutique. In addition, a huge background screen transforms the inside seating area into a space for events such as product presentations, Cyberloupe® watchmaking experiences or virtual tours of the IWC’s manufacturing centre in Schaffhausen.